“Don’t talk nonsense.”
The repercussions were huge. There was a lot of opposition to Grid, who asked Chiyou for a fair exchange of blows.
“The opponent is Chiyou. It is nothing but arrogance to handle him alone, no matter how you are.”
Zeratul and Dominion were the main ones. They criticized Grid before anyone else could say anything. It wasn’t because they were worried about Grid’s safety. They feared that Chiyou would swallow Grid and become even more powerful.
“You don’t deserve to give Grid your opinion.”
“......!”
The sword that Chiyou wielded blew away Dominion’s entire body, along with his spear. The shockwave was enormous.
Grid took a few steps back. Zeratul, who was near Dominion, couldn’t back away and fell.
“Such a disgrace to me...” Zeratul sat down and gritted his teeth. However, he didn’t dare to glare at Chiyou.
The Martial God who had revealed his true body. He was completely different, but also similar to Rebecca, the Goddess of Light. The Goddess made others bow to her with warm benevolence, while Chiyou made them bow with overwhelming force.
Zeratul was ashamed. He wanted to erase from his memory the entire time he had been living as the Martial God.
“It is unsightly.” Grid’s voice was heard. They were cooperating now, but they were obviously enemies. It was even the one Zeratul hated the most. However, Zeratul knew the fact that countless beings had been fascinated by him, regardless of species, status, or inclination.
‘You... what sweet words are you going to whisper?’
At this point, Grid must be trying to appease him to make him an ally. Zeratul expected the obvious development. Zeratul thought Grid would comfort him with his tongue and dazzle him. Yes, he knew it was obvious, but he kept his ears open and waited. It was a moment when even the smallest comfort was too much.
Now he had realized the gap with Chiyou. It was hard for him to stay sane. He was on the verge of collapse due to facing the truth that he had been ignoring. He wanted to rely on someone else, no matter who it was.
Grid grinned at Zeratul, who was inwardly looking forward to it. “It is funny to see you, who always acts like you are the best, become frustrated after meeting the real thing. Should I be glad that you have admitted that you are nothing but a fake and have become humble?”
“...You!” An emotional Zeratul jumped up. His two legs, which had been relaxed, stood up again. He stood up again just before his pride, which had been honed by ignoring the truth, was crushed.
“That is how you should be, Zeratul.” Grid chuckled. He felt more at ease that he paid back a bit of what Zeratul had done for him in the Prison of Eternity. He felt like he could focus more on the confrontation.
“I’m sorry.”
It was after the disturbance was over. Grid faced Chiyou again, only to hear unexpected words. An apology flowed out of Chiyou’s mouth.
“I know that my obsession with my selfish wish has put many people, including you, in a difficult position.”
Chiyou withdrew his sword. The sword that had been used so far was placed back in the dark sheath held in his left hand. Was he finally coming to his senses and stopping the fight? It happened as people were looking forward to it...
Chiyou tightened his grip on the hand holding the sheath. Then the dark-colored sheath that smashed Asura’s skull like tofu was flattened entirely along with the sword that had received Dominion’s spear hundreds of times. The Martial God revealed his true nature and treated even the most treasured sword as worthless.
Jingle.
Chiyou’s dopo fluttered and a new sword appeared. No, it wasn’t suitable to be called a sword. It was more like a club, a long, thin club made of pure metal. It was bumpy and coarse.
“Are you going to beat me with a rod after apologizing?”
Grid frowned with displeasure. He thought Chiyou was putting away the sword before the start of the confrontation. Now he doubted Chiyou’s intentions when Chiyou pulled out the rod. Surprisingly, Dominion cleared up the misunderstanding.
“Pair. That is Chiyou’s favorite weapon.”
“Pair...?”
“What started out as a mere piece of metal has been transformed into what it is today after being with Chiyou over the years."
The long, crude iron rod contained Chiyou’s experience. It was a completed form that followed the trajectory Chiyou had swung so far. It might seem like a simple iron rod to others, but it was the best customized weapon for Chiyou.
“He is sincere. You had better be prepared.”
“...You are telling me to be serious.” Grid chuckled. He still had his arms outstretched. He didn’t take any stance and looked more arrogant than Chiyou. “I have always been serious."
[Only One God Grid...]
“Stop.” Grid stopped the epic.
After the defeat of Baal, Grid had plenty of time. It was a time he used to closely analyze and study the rewards he had earned. What he paid attention to was the ‘common public characteristics’ gained after he unexpectedly broke through level 1,000.
There was Stats Redistribution, an ability that anyone could gain if they reached level 1,000. It was an ability that would inevitably become less rare at some point. Once time passed and level 1,000 became common, it would be treated as a common ability.
However, Grid took note of that. He appreciated the fact that he could ‘intervene in the system.’ The ability to redistribute stats that they had already distributed at any time. It was a clear violation of the rules established by the existing system. It suggested the possibility that the players could be freed from the system-created rules.
It wasn’t just a possibility.
Strength, speed, and stamina—all types of stat values that reached the limit created by the system even after becoming an Absolute were transcended by using Stats Redistribution. This was the reason why Amoract died without being aware of Grid’s attack.
Grid thought about it. Reaching level 1,000 was actually a very difficult achievement. So in return for reaching level 1,000, he was completely freed from the regulations of the system.
[The epic will stop being written according to your will.]
‘As expected... it is possible.’
His hypothesis became true. Even the epics that used to rise in certain situations regardless of Grid’s will could now be controlled by Grid.
“It is a wise decision,” Chiyou praised him.
Chiyou regained his composure after pouring out his energy fighting Asura and Dominion. He glimpsed the fact that Grid still wasn’t strong enough to kill him. It was a fight where defeat was obvious from Grid’s point of view. There was no benefit in publicizing it. On the contrary, it would be a disaster that would only increase Chiyou’s status.
“As I said before, I want to apologize to you.”
An apology from the Martial God.
“I’ll increase your knowledge as an apology.”
Chiyou closed the gap with Grid. The bells didn’t ring. His movements were quiet. The Pair he raised his head fell toward Grid without any noise. It was the Martial God’s blow with all his strength. Grid couldn’t recognize it even though it happened in front of his eyes.
“......!!”
Blood gushed from Grid’s mouth and nose as his eyes widened. His wide chest was crushed along with the dragon armor.
“I hope that what you learn in this moment will help you harm me in the future.” Chiyou’s whisper was faintly audible.
[You have suffered catastrophic damage.]
He entered the immortal state. It was a disaster that occurred for allowing a single blow. His stats that went all-in on stamina and his absolute defense were lacking.
Chiyou’s back entered Grid’s red-tinged vision. He was about to leave.
That’s right. Chiyou realized it after grasping the level of Grid, who couldn’t even handle one blow. Unfortunately, at the current level, Grid couldn’t hurt him in any way... In other words, any further confrontation was pointless.
This was what Chiyou thought.
Flash!
Defying the Natural Order, wielded by Grid, drew a half moon. It was a trajectory optimized for slashing. Subsequently, it became a straightforward stab before transforming into a giant sword for a final cut.
“......!!”
“......!!”
Everyone at the scene was shocked. It was because blood gushed out from dozens of bloody cuts on Chiyou’s body.
The sword that Grid wielded viciously—Chiyou paid dearly for allowing it to hit because he thought it was just Grid venting his anger.
“You said to exchange blows once...” Braham was stunned by Chiyou’s completely devastated state and clicked his tongue.
Chiyou was also making a puzzled expression. “You slashed me 47 times and stabbed me 9 times...?”
“It is a six fusion sword dance, so it is one blow.”
The promise to cut each other once—Grid used the six fusion sword dance as an excuse to violate it and looked imposing. Additionally—
Flash!
A huge light fell straight down from the sky and struck the top of Chiyou’s head.
[Another Tomb]
[Recreates the Tomb of the Gods and inflicts a massive bombardment around it.
The type of bombardment and the damage depends on the amount of damage received in the 20 seconds before the skill is activated.]
Reflection damage.
Flop!
The Martial God fell to his knees. Everyone present was shocked and couldn’t close their mouths.
In the silence that lasted for a while, Grid explained, “It is an uncontrollable power.”
“...Yes.” Chiyou had a strange expression as he slowly pulled himself up. He silently observed the wounds on his body. He was recovering quickly, but a few deep wounds seemed like they would remain as scars for a few minutes. He felt that the curse of eternal life had weakened for a moment. It reminded him of death.
“I think I was beaten because I was rude.” Chiyou smiled slightly and concluded. Rather than criticizing Grid, he was filled with pleasure and gradually faded away. “Our next meeting will solely be of your own volition.”
It wasn’t a prophecy. It was a declaration that he wouldn’t act rashly again. Grid was relieved thanks to this but he didn’t say thank you. It already took a lot of patience not to swear. Soon—
Jingle...
Chiyou disappeared from the scene, leaving only the faint sound of bells.
“Don’t miss him!”
Dominion and the gods of Asgard followed. Thousands of troops were waiting beyond the golden clouds that formed a staircase. It was the army trained and led by Dominion, the God of War. They had been waiting silently out of fear of harming human lives. Then once Chiyou moved the battlefield, they moved as if they had been waiting.
“Are you going to just let them go?”
“They will consume each other while fighting, so there is no need to interfere. By the way, why aren’t you going, Zeratul?”
“I don’t have anywhere to go?”
“......?”
Wasn’t he more confident than he needed to be? A notification window appeared in the vision of the bewildered Grid.
[The Only One title, ‘One Who Punished the Martial God,’ has been acquired.]
[’Zeratul’ has nowhere to go and hopes to join the Overgeared World.]
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
The repercussions were huge. There was a lot of opposition to Grid, who asked Chiyou for a fair exchange of blows.
“The opponent is Chiyou. It is nothing but arrogance to handle him alone, no matter how you are.”
Zeratul and Dominion were the main ones. They criticized Grid before anyone else could say anything. It wasn’t because they were worried about Grid’s safety. They feared that Chiyou would swallow Grid and become even more powerful.
“You don’t deserve to give Grid your opinion.”
“......!”
The sword that Chiyou wielded blew away Dominion’s entire body, along with his spear. The shockwave was enormous.
Grid took a few steps back. Zeratul, who was near Dominion, couldn’t back away and fell.
“Such a disgrace to me...” Zeratul sat down and gritted his teeth. However, he didn’t dare to glare at Chiyou.
The Martial God who had revealed his true body. He was completely different, but also similar to Rebecca, the Goddess of Light. The Goddess made others bow to her with warm benevolence, while Chiyou made them bow with overwhelming force.
Zeratul was ashamed. He wanted to erase from his memory the entire time he had been living as the Martial God.
“It is unsightly.” Grid’s voice was heard. They were cooperating now, but they were obviously enemies. It was even the one Zeratul hated the most. However, Zeratul knew the fact that countless beings had been fascinated by him, regardless of species, status, or inclination.
‘You... what sweet words are you going to whisper?’
At this point, Grid must be trying to appease him to make him an ally. Zeratul expected the obvious development. Zeratul thought Grid would comfort him with his tongue and dazzle him. Yes, he knew it was obvious, but he kept his ears open and waited. It was a moment when even the smallest comfort was too much.
Now he had realized the gap with Chiyou. It was hard for him to stay sane. He was on the verge of collapse due to facing the truth that he had been ignoring. He wanted to rely on someone else, no matter who it was.
Grid grinned at Zeratul, who was inwardly looking forward to it. “It is funny to see you, who always acts like you are the best, become frustrated after meeting the real thing. Should I be glad that you have admitted that you are nothing but a fake and have become humble?”
“...You!” An emotional Zeratul jumped up. His two legs, which had been relaxed, stood up again. He stood up again just before his pride, which had been honed by ignoring the truth, was crushed.
“That is how you should be, Zeratul.” Grid chuckled. He felt more at ease that he paid back a bit of what Zeratul had done for him in the Prison of Eternity. He felt like he could focus more on the confrontation.
“I’m sorry.”
It was after the disturbance was over. Grid faced Chiyou again, only to hear unexpected words. An apology flowed out of Chiyou’s mouth.
“I know that my obsession with my selfish wish has put many people, including you, in a difficult position.”
Chiyou withdrew his sword. The sword that had been used so far was placed back in the dark sheath held in his left hand. Was he finally coming to his senses and stopping the fight? It happened as people were looking forward to it...
Chiyou tightened his grip on the hand holding the sheath. Then the dark-colored sheath that smashed Asura’s skull like tofu was flattened entirely along with the sword that had received Dominion’s spear hundreds of times. The Martial God revealed his true nature and treated even the most treasured sword as worthless.
Jingle.
Chiyou’s dopo fluttered and a new sword appeared. No, it wasn’t suitable to be called a sword. It was more like a club, a long, thin club made of pure metal. It was bumpy and coarse.
“Are you going to beat me with a rod after apologizing?”
Grid frowned with displeasure. He thought Chiyou was putting away the sword before the start of the confrontation. Now he doubted Chiyou’s intentions when Chiyou pulled out the rod. Surprisingly, Dominion cleared up the misunderstanding.
“Pair. That is Chiyou’s favorite weapon.”
“Pair...?”
“What started out as a mere piece of metal has been transformed into what it is today after being with Chiyou over the years."
The long, crude iron rod contained Chiyou’s experience. It was a completed form that followed the trajectory Chiyou had swung so far. It might seem like a simple iron rod to others, but it was the best customized weapon for Chiyou.
“He is sincere. You had better be prepared.”
“...You are telling me to be serious.” Grid chuckled. He still had his arms outstretched. He didn’t take any stance and looked more arrogant than Chiyou. “I have always been serious."
[Only One God Grid...]
“Stop.” Grid stopped the epic.
After the defeat of Baal, Grid had plenty of time. It was a time he used to closely analyze and study the rewards he had earned. What he paid attention to was the ‘common public characteristics’ gained after he unexpectedly broke through level 1,000.
There was Stats Redistribution, an ability that anyone could gain if they reached level 1,000. It was an ability that would inevitably become less rare at some point. Once time passed and level 1,000 became common, it would be treated as a common ability.
However, Grid took note of that. He appreciated the fact that he could ‘intervene in the system.’ The ability to redistribute stats that they had already distributed at any time. It was a clear violation of the rules established by the existing system. It suggested the possibility that the players could be freed from the system-created rules.
It wasn’t just a possibility.
Strength, speed, and stamina—all types of stat values that reached the limit created by the system even after becoming an Absolute were transcended by using Stats Redistribution. This was the reason why Amoract died without being aware of Grid’s attack.
Grid thought about it. Reaching level 1,000 was actually a very difficult achievement. So in return for reaching level 1,000, he was completely freed from the regulations of the system.
[The epic will stop being written according to your will.]
‘As expected... it is possible.’
His hypothesis became true. Even the epics that used to rise in certain situations regardless of Grid’s will could now be controlled by Grid.
“It is a wise decision,” Chiyou praised him.
Chiyou regained his composure after pouring out his energy fighting Asura and Dominion. He glimpsed the fact that Grid still wasn’t strong enough to kill him. It was a fight where defeat was obvious from Grid’s point of view. There was no benefit in publicizing it. On the contrary, it would be a disaster that would only increase Chiyou’s status.
“As I said before, I want to apologize to you.”
An apology from the Martial God.
“I’ll increase your knowledge as an apology.”
Chiyou closed the gap with Grid. The bells didn’t ring. His movements were quiet. The Pair he raised his head fell toward Grid without any noise. It was the Martial God’s blow with all his strength. Grid couldn’t recognize it even though it happened in front of his eyes.
“......!!”
Blood gushed from Grid’s mouth and nose as his eyes widened. His wide chest was crushed along with the dragon armor.
“I hope that what you learn in this moment will help you harm me in the future.” Chiyou’s whisper was faintly audible.
[You have suffered catastrophic damage.]
He entered the immortal state. It was a disaster that occurred for allowing a single blow. His stats that went all-in on stamina and his absolute defense were lacking.
Chiyou’s back entered Grid’s red-tinged vision. He was about to leave.
That’s right. Chiyou realized it after grasping the level of Grid, who couldn’t even handle one blow. Unfortunately, at the current level, Grid couldn’t hurt him in any way... In other words, any further confrontation was pointless.
This was what Chiyou thought.
Flash!
Defying the Natural Order, wielded by Grid, drew a half moon. It was a trajectory optimized for slashing. Subsequently, it became a straightforward stab before transforming into a giant sword for a final cut.
“......!!”
“......!!”
Everyone at the scene was shocked. It was because blood gushed out from dozens of bloody cuts on Chiyou’s body.
The sword that Grid wielded viciously—Chiyou paid dearly for allowing it to hit because he thought it was just Grid venting his anger.
“You said to exchange blows once...” Braham was stunned by Chiyou’s completely devastated state and clicked his tongue.
Chiyou was also making a puzzled expression. “You slashed me 47 times and stabbed me 9 times...?”
“It is a six fusion sword dance, so it is one blow.”
The promise to cut each other once—Grid used the six fusion sword dance as an excuse to violate it and looked imposing. Additionally—
Flash!
A huge light fell straight down from the sky and struck the top of Chiyou’s head.
[Another Tomb]
[Recreates the Tomb of the Gods and inflicts a massive bombardment around it.
The type of bombardment and the damage depends on the amount of damage received in the 20 seconds before the skill is activated.]
Reflection damage.
Flop!
The Martial God fell to his knees. Everyone present was shocked and couldn’t close their mouths.
In the silence that lasted for a while, Grid explained, “It is an uncontrollable power.”
“...Yes.” Chiyou had a strange expression as he slowly pulled himself up. He silently observed the wounds on his body. He was recovering quickly, but a few deep wounds seemed like they would remain as scars for a few minutes. He felt that the curse of eternal life had weakened for a moment. It reminded him of death.
“I think I was beaten because I was rude.” Chiyou smiled slightly and concluded. Rather than criticizing Grid, he was filled with pleasure and gradually faded away. “Our next meeting will solely be of your own volition.”
It wasn’t a prophecy. It was a declaration that he wouldn’t act rashly again. Grid was relieved thanks to this but he didn’t say thank you. It already took a lot of patience not to swear. Soon—
Jingle...
Chiyou disappeared from the scene, leaving only the faint sound of bells.
“Don’t miss him!”
Dominion and the gods of Asgard followed. Thousands of troops were waiting beyond the golden clouds that formed a staircase. It was the army trained and led by Dominion, the God of War. They had been waiting silently out of fear of harming human lives. Then once Chiyou moved the battlefield, they moved as if they had been waiting.
“Are you going to just let them go?”
“They will consume each other while fighting, so there is no need to interfere. By the way, why aren’t you going, Zeratul?”
“I don’t have anywhere to go?”
“......?”
Wasn’t he more confident than he needed to be? A notification window appeared in the vision of the bewildered Grid.
[The Only One title, ‘One Who Punished the Martial God,’ has been acquired.]
[’Zeratul’ has nowhere to go and hopes to join the Overgeared World.]
